Alex

A friend calls them "little green balls of death." I definitely will have to try roasting them. Thanks, Soba. My favorite method up to this point is to boil them in salted water until they're almost done, then sauté in butter or bacon fat until browned, adding dill weed at the very end. I first had the de-leafed version several years ago at Spiaggia, as an accompaniment for a piece of sea bass resting in a bit of seafood broth.

Dennis, the web site voice-over mentioned something about the clip being tested on a pretty large group of people. Is a report available, either on the Internet or for a fee? I'm quite serious about doing an extended blind taste test and posting the results here. And yes, if I find that the clip does indeed produce a significant improvement I'd have no problem sending you the $$ and continuing to use it. This, btw, from someone who used to live just down the road from you on the Island, and, who in his move westward, shifted allegiance from the Yankees to the Mets (I was at Shea for the '69 Series) to the Tigers and now to the Cubs. (I'm pulling for a Yanks-Cubs Series. I'd love to see Sammy call his shot at the Stadium. ) I don't think that even Steinbrenner would have the chutzpah to move the Yankees out of The Bronx.

Small salad: spinach dressed with a Caesar-ish vinaigrette and truffle oil, topped with julienned roasted beets and sautéed mushrooms, and bacon (adapted from a Larousse Gastronomique recipe) Tuna steaks with basil pesto Butternut squash, corn, spinach, onion, and...bacon! (Epicurious/Bon Appétit recipe -- Thanks, MatthewB) 2001 Mommessin Mâcon Villages

I'm thinking about what might be available at the market: potatoes (regular and sweet), winter squash, kale and/or swiss chard, the last of the tomatoes, peppers, and peaches (if we're lucky), apples, pears, ..... I suspect we'll have enough to eat, especially if we can supplement from Russo's, Erika's, Kingma's, etc. As I mentioned earlier, I can make my award-winning butternut squash soup plus a dessert, or anything else we may need. I'll be posting soon about our options for Saturday activities (other than shopping and cooking ). The only decision that's shouldn't be left until that day is the hayride because a reservation is advised. I'll post more details about this as well.

I know that I'm one of those "soft-headed" scientists (psychologist) responding to a "hard" scientist, but sometimes a person's perception is what's relevant. If well-controlled studies show that subjects perceive the treated wine as significantly different from (or not different from) the untreated, that's what matters, at least up to a point. Past that point, I grant that these differences can't be quantified in any statistically meaningful way. ("Very little," "some," etc. would be interesting to obtain but provide no testable data.) That's also why I don't like the practice of scoring wines, a la Wine Spectator. I'm willing to maintain an open-minded skepticism and not say "bull" (well, maybe "wee bull" ) until I see some reasonable evidence one way or the other. I prefer the James Randi approach of challenging outrageous-sounding claims via scientific inquiry. (Although I admit that if Dennis weren't sending me the clip on spec I certainly wouldn't spend $50 for one.) I emphatically agree that Dennis's "Sometimes science can't be explained but it also can't be denied!" is disingenuous and misleading. The (very annoying) voice-over on their web site implied that the clip had been scientifically tested, yet I saw no data or link to any published study.

Thanks, Matt. I'm headed outside to start practicing right now. :splat:

This is not a good way to test the device because you are changing three variables together -- pouring it first, tasting it first, and using the clip. If you don't use the wine clip, you might also notice a difference between the two glasses -- one will have had a bit longer to breathe, be at a slightly different temperature etc. You should flip a coin to decide whether to use the wine clip first, and flip another coin to decide which one to taste. Not that it really matters .... I agree; this is not a good test. Find two identical bottles of wine. Have the associate use the clip on one and not on the other. Pour a glass of each. Drink, wait, pour another glass...do whatever you want, as long as you do the same thing to both glasses and don't know which glass came from the clipped bottle. Take notes. Repeat with four or five bottles. That's the way to test the clip. Bruce Of course, one's ability to discern small differences will decrease as the amount consumed increases. Seriously, though, taste buds do lose flavor sensitivity with repeated exposure over a short time. It's advisable to drink some water and rest a couple of minutes between tastings. It also would be interesting to do the comparison when the wine is drunk just after you consume some food -- cheese, for example. If this test were being done for publication, you would have the associate mark either the treated or untreated glass -- you wouldn't know which one -- then leave the room so as not to give you any subtle non-verbal clues. Which brings me to a thought I had when I was falling asleep last night. (Yes, eGullet is with me constantly.) If several eG'ers do blind (or double-blind) taste testings, essentially we -- instead of a testing lab -- are doing Dennis's work for him, at the cost to him of only a few Wine Clips. (It's not publishable, but it's still evidence of a sort.) This I don't mind per se. (I'll be drinking the wine anyway, so sure, I'll check out the product. ) However -- and I'm not familiar with all of eGullet's policies, but I suspect that this is true (Fat Guy?...) -- we need to be careful that eGullet is not referenced on his web site, in promo materials, etc.

The idea of a magnetic field being able to improve wine, brandy, etc. has been circulating for a long time. I was told of this nearly 30 years ago. So, of course, I had to check this out. A friend and I did a blind taste test of a cheap California red (the only kind we drank back then ), probably Gallo Hearty Burgundy. I rotated the filled glass as I held a strong refrigerator magnet to it. We turned our backs and another friend chose the tasting order. I was able to notice a small but consistent smoothing out of the treated wine, but the effect wore off after a while. I have not tried this experiment since. I was turned off by the exaggeration and hype (and poor editing) on the web site: "You'll instantly experience a smoother, less tanic (sic) taste and enhanced bouquet similar to that of wines which are aged for years in professional cellars." Puh-leeze. I admire Dennis's willingness to put this item to the test, though, and so I will e-mail him with my address. I do know how to set up well-controlled double-blind studies, so we'll see.... (BTW, Dennis, those hover-over page changes make it really, really difficult to navigate the site. I also find JavaScript pop-ups pretty annoying.)

Leg or butt. Or pork loin.

Welcom to eGullet, lafonda! Great to have another GRapidian here. As guajolote said, we'll be getting together for a party/dinner on Saturday, starting somewhere around 4 or 5 p.m. It would be great if you could make it. There'll also be some sort of yet-to-be-determined activity or activities during the day, most likely including a hayride (weather permitting). Please feel free to keep posting or to send me a PM (personal message) if you have any questions.

Onions, garlic, shallots, etc. lose flavor if chopped too far ahead of time (e.g., before you leave for work), ditto most herbs. Tomato concasse probably is ok but should be stored tightly covered at room temp, not in the fridge. My work involves a lot of intense mental activity (psychotherapy). Even if I'm tired when I get home, once I overcome my inertia I really enjoy prepping and cooking. Like Suzanne said, it helps me to wind down. And, unlike most therapy, I get to see positive results after only one hour! And, as you mentioned, most of my after-work cooking involves minimal prep, maybe 10-15 min. at the most. (Edited for additional content.)

Too bad. We'll make a toast (the wine version, not the bread one) for you.

How about kangaroo? (Seriously.) Recently, for an appetizer, I had some very rare kangaroo tenderloin with arugula and truffle oil (there might have been shaved parm-reg, but I can't remember) that was wonderful. The tenderloin is mild but the other ingredients would help it stand up to the Shiraz.

I upgraded to a KitchenAid dishwasher about a year ago and so far, so good. :knocking on wood: Did the service person tell you which of their products are made by Maytag? Ditto refrigerators made by Amana?

Slowing down the process helped immensely. Thanks, Paula. I haven't tried broiling yet. I played around with the water/cornmeal ratio and found that somewhere between 4:1 and 4½:1 worked the best for cooling then pan-browining. (I'm using Italian cornmeal from Zingerman's.)

Questions re Friday dinner: 1) I made a reservation for 7 p.m. -- OK? (Dissenting posts only; silence = agreement.) 2) I've been discussing a set prix fixe menu with the chef, as I think it gives us a better value for the money. OK? 3) If we do a set menu, are folks ok with a seafood theme (e.g., Seafood Minestrone, salad, Salmon in Phyllo with Saffron Sauce, Peaches in Port)? An updated arrival list: Friday: Matthew & SO, Alex & spouse; guajolote & flaca; fresco, spouse, & daughter; maggie & Mr. Handsome; Aurora; Lady T; col klink Saturday: NeroW, The Boy, & The Hobbit; tammylc; mitten; Fresser?; guajolote's parents & kids? Still waiting to hear: PastryLady; RheaS

As a kid I would flee from mushrooms. Also, salads were evil (although I had no problem with separated raw veggies). When I was 20 I forced myself to eat both -- I was too embarrassed to show my girlfriend, who ate everything, that I was at all a food wimp. And hey, guess what? Not bad!

very fresh roast chicken (was clucking earlier that day) -- Cook's Illustrated method, with rosemary and lemon in cavity potatoes roasted with the chicken steamed broccoli with anchovy sauce (also CI recipe) 1995 Labouré-Roi Vosne-Romanée dessert = biscotti and Vin Santo

There are numerous recipies for cooked fennel (often braised) but I've never liked any of them as much eating fennel raw. Here's how I do it: After trimming the top and bottom of the bulb, halve it pole to pole then cut out the triangular center part. Slice crosswise very thin, on an angle. (I use a knife, but a mandoline would be fine, too.) Like Jim, I also have enjoyed it with shaved parm-reg and citrus. Unfortunately we can find blood oranges here (Michigan) only once a year, and at exorbitant prices (which doesn't stop me, but does make me wish I lived in California). I've combined it with grapefruit, avocado, and a light citrus vinaigrette, with great success. I also make a salad with fennel, cucumber crescents, and Vidalias -- three kinds of crunch playing off each other. And, as Jim said, there are all kinds of combos. I'd love to hear some ideas. Edited for typo

I'm in I'm in. Does that mean that klink, nero + boy, guajolote, and nightscotsman are driving together on Friday? Or were those "I'm in"s about getting together in Chicago? Or both?

Hopefully I won't eat it all on the way drive home. When do the Friday night festivities start? I'll be driving down from Duluth and I'll be going through Chicago. How long is the drive from Chicago to Grand Rapids? Depending on when I have to leave the Good White North, I can take folks as well. I'm driving a fat Chrysler that very comfortably seats 4 and somewhat comfortably seats 5. I'd like to get there by Friday night. However, if driving all that distance is going to be too much in one day, I'm thinking of splittling the drive and spending Thursday night in Chicago, anyone free for something on Thursday night or Friday? Hell, if I can be persuaded, I'll split up the drive anyways. Friday night dinner time hasn't been set yet -- depends on who's arriving when. Could be any time between 6 and 8ish, I imagine. Last I knew, Fresser and nightscotsman were going to carpool here on Saturday. Perhaps they could be persuaded to join you, or vice versa, on Friday afternoon. It also looks like maggie, Lady T, and Aurora might be leaving on Friday as well. If you depart pre- or post-rush hour, and try to not attract too much attention from our alert MSP troopers (less than 10 over the limit *usually* is ok, but keep it less than 5 over in construction zones, and merge well ahead of time if there's a lane closure), Chi-GR can easily be done in 3 hrs, although 3½ is not unknown. It also depends where in Chicago you're leaving from, of course. The more the merrier on Friday! We'll just need a reasonably reliable head count when Matthew and I talk with Joe Pagano (of the restaurant we'll be going to). We also need to finalize housing arrrangements before too long.

Five new friends since my last post here: Local Flavors (thanks, MatthewB!) The Bagel Bible, 2nd ed (ditto) Smoke & Spice (ditto) The Bread Machine Magic Book of Helpful Hints (no hisses for the bread machine, please) Biscuits, Spoonbread, & Sweet Potato Pie I bought a copy of French Cooking in Ten Minutes through Amazon, but it arrived with water damage so I returned it. Cooking With Pomaine and Jeremiah Tower Cooks are on "the list."

Do it!! Then write about it. :salivate:

Probably not, but give her the credit anyway. (I've learned well from Ms. Alex.)

I grind my flax seeds in an old blade-type coffee grinder. They add kind of a nutty taste to pancakes. As tryska mentioned, flax seed oxidizes quickly, so I recommend buying it in small quantities and storing it in the fridge.